Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Did you know that there is a U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space and Technology? There is. And it used to be just the Committee on Science and Technology until recently when Space was put back in there to more accurately reflect some of the stuff that it does. (You'd think that 'space' could be covered by science and/or technology, but I guess the need was felt for it to have it's own distinction.) I point that out because it's pretty much all about the science and the technology. That's why having Rep. Paul Broun (R-idiculous, GA) on that committee is a disaster waiting to happen.

Mr. Broun would appear to have...beliefs that don't exactly square with...science. See, there's a big difference between science and, well, other stuff. Science is based on facts. You can say that you don't like a fact, but the great part about facts is that they're very factual. So, even though you might not like that something is proven to be a certain way, the fact is that's how it is. The problem with the definition of a fact is that Rep. Broun doesn't seem to understand it. See, it would appear that he is one of those folks that, for whatever reason, seem to want to believe that the Earth is only a few thousand years old. (Don't ask me how dinosaurs fit into that ridiculous belief. I have no idea. I can barely wrap my head around the fact that some people actually believe this crap.) And this is a guy who calls himself a scientist! He's not. He's a nutjob. Big difference. Usually. Even more frightening? This guy is actually a doctor. He has an M.D.

How in the world is a guy like this allowed to be on a committee that makes decisions about science and technology?! Allow me to quote the wonderful Bill Nye The Science Guy in a letter that he wrote to the Huffington Post. "Since the economic future of the United States depends on our tradition
of technological innovation, Representative Broun's views are not in the
national interest...For
example, the Earth is simply not 9,000 years old...He is, by any
measure, unqualified to make decisions about science, space, and
technology."

I fear that I may have gotten ahead of myself here. Below is a video and a transcription of Rep. Broun speaking before a group of like-minded nutjobs. He talks about how basic science is just a bunch of lies sent straight from hell. (And I must say, hell must have certainly really thought things out in an extremely orderly fashion that can be proven through scientific studies and experiments. Good thinkin', hell!) He talks about how the Bible teaches us how to run public policy and everything in society. (Yeah, I don't think it does.) And the most important part that you need to know is that he says that he holds the Bible as what gives him directions on how he votes in Washington. Yeah, um, I don't know what the Bible says about space, technology and science, but I'm guessing not much. HOW is this guy on that committee and HOW do we get him OFF of it?!

God's word is true. I've come to understand that. All that stuff I was taught about evolution and embryology and the Big Bang Theory...all that is lies straight from the pit of hell. And it's lies to try to keep me and all the folks who are taught that from understanding that they need a Savior. You see, there are a lot of scientific data that I've found out as a scientist that actually show that this is really a young Earth. I don't believe that the Earth is more about nine thousand years old. I believe it was created in six days as we know them. That's what the Bible says. And what I've come to learn is that it's the Manufacturer's Handbook is what I call it. It teaches us how to run our lives individual. How to run our families. How to run our churches. But it teaches us how to run all public policy and everything in society. That's the reason, as your congressman, I hold the Holy Bible as being the major directions to me as how I voted in Washington, D.C. and I'll continue to do that." (This seems to be about the only time that I would consider it appropriate to quote the Bible. Jesus.)